Episode 4173 (7th April 1997)
Plot Don tells Ashley he was joking about setting fire to the factory. Ashley isn't sure what to make of him. Mavis celebrates her birthday and Derek tells her she'll have to wait for her present as he has to collect it. Andy is ashamed of himself when he learns Steve has had another fourteen days added to his sentence. Jim tells Andy he must stop feeling sorry for himself and get on with his life, feeling he went through a lot worse when he was Andy's age as he was in the Army. Vera worries that Tricia and Ray Thorpe are getting serious. Mike seethes over the way Don thinks he's got away with arson. He swears to Alma that he'll make Don pay one way or the other. Tricia's delighted by the way Ray hits it off with Jamie. Jim is amazed to hear in the pub that Andy is giving up University. The neighbours gather for Mavis' party but she is worried when Derek fails to turn up. He phones to say he's stuck in traffic. When he says he'll be an hour late she accuses him of ruining her birthday. Derek annoys a motorist by cutting him up. The motorist argues with him and when Derek rows back the motorist bends the paper clip sign on the roof until it snaps off. After the motorist has driven off Derek suffers a massive heart attack and collapses in the car. Cast Regular cast *Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold *Don Brennan - Geoff Hinsliff *Derek Wilton - Peter Baldwin *Mavis Wilton - Thelma Barlow *Jim McDonald - Charles Lawson *Andy McDonald - Nicholas Cochrane *Tricia Armstrong - Tracy Brabin *Jack Duckworth - William Tarmey *Vera Duckworth - Elizabeth Dawn *Martin Platt - Sean Wilson *Gail Platt - Helen Worth *Bill Webster - Peter Armitage *Mike Baldwin - Johnny Briggs *Alma Baldwin - Amanda Barrie *Jamie Armstrong - Joseph Gilgun *Judy Mallett - Gaynor Faye *Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls *Chris Collins - Matthew Marsden *Rita Sullivan - Barbara Knox *Alec Gilroy - Roy Barraclough *Percy Sugden - Bill Waddington Guest cast *Ray Thorpe - Chris Walker *Brad Armstrong - Caleb Flanagan *Ron Harris - Martin Herdman *Motorist - Michael Walker Places *Coronation Street exterior *Rovers Return Inn - Public, back room and hallway *4 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms, conservatory and garden *5 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms *11 Coronation Street - Back room, kitchen and hallway *Jim's Cafe *Unknown country roads Notes *Final appearance of Peter Baldwin as Derek Wilton. *Jim Dowdall was credited as a Stunt Double and Richard Hammatt as the Stunt Co-ordinator on this episode. *The closing theme music of the episode was replaced by the tune of Tit Willow from The Mikado playing on a tape in Derek Wilton's car as he lay dead and slumped on the seat. *''TV Times'' synopsis: Will Derek make it home in time for Mavis’s party? *Viewing Figures: UK broadcast - 16,370,000 viewers (1st place - combined figure including repeat). *This episode was included in the Network DVD collection Coronation Street: The Best of 1990-1999, released on 5th September 2011. Category:1997 episodes Category:Episodes released on DVD